author - "Charles Dickens"
e deck into a long narrow apartment, not unlike a gigantic hearse with windows in the sides; having at the upper end a melancholy stove, at which three or four chilly stewards were warming their hands; while on either side, extending down its whole dreary length, was a long, long table, over each of which a rack, fixed to the low roof, and stuck full of drinking-glasses and cruet-stands, hinted dismally at rolling seas and heavy weather. I had not at that time seen the ideal presentment of this chamber which has since gratified me so much, but I observed that one of our friends who had made the arrangements for our voyage, turned pale on entering, retreated on the friend behind him., smote his forehead involuntarily, and said below his breath, 'Impossible! it cannot be!' or words to that effect. He recovered himself however by a great effort, and after a preparatory cough or two, cried, with a ghastly smile which is still before me, looking at the same time round the walls, 'Ha! the breakfast-room, steward -
ould leap out, deal blows about them with their swords likehail, leap on the horses, on the pole, spring back into thechariots anyhow; and, as soon as they were safe, the horses toreaway again.
The Britons had a strange and terrible religion, called theReligion of the Druids. It seems to have been brought over, invery early times indeed, from the opposite country of France,anciently called Gaul, and to have mixed up the worship of theSerpent, and of the Sun and Moon, with the worship of some of theHeathen Gods and Goddesses. Most of its ceremonies were keptsecret by the priests, the Druids, who pretended to be enchanters,and who carried magicians' wands, and wore, each of them, about hisneck, what he told the ignorant people was a Serpent's egg in agolden case. But it is certain that the Druidical ceremoniesincluded the sacrifice of human victims, the torture of somesuspected criminals, and, on particular occasions, even the burningalive, in immense wicker cages, of a numbe
life had shaped itself into that form, and he hadgrown used to it. He had taught himself a language down here,--ifonly to know it by sight, and to have formed his own crude ideas ofits pronunciation, could be called learning it. He had also workedat fractions and decimals, and tried a little algebra; but he was,and had been as a boy, a poor hand at figures. Was it necessary forhim when on duty always to remain in that channel of damp air, andcould he never rise into the sunshine from between those high stonewalls? Why, that depended upon times and circumstances. Under someconditions there would be less upon the Line than under others, andthe same held good as to certain hours of the day and night. Inbright weather, he did choose occasions for getting a little abovethese lower shadows; but, being at all times liable to be called byhis electric bell, and at such times listening for it with redoubledanxiety, the relief was less than I would suppose.
He took me into his box, where there was
like anything better than being moddley-coddleyed.'
With the check upon him of being unsympathetically restrained in agenial outburst of enthusiasm, Mr. Jasper stands still, and lookson intently at the young fellow, divesting himself of his outwardcoat, hat, gloves, and so forth. Once for all, a look ofintentness and intensity--a look of hungry, exacting, watchful, andyet devoted affection--is always, now and ever afterwards, on theJasper face whenever the Jasper face is addressed in thisdirection. And whenever it is so addressed, it is never, on thisoccasion or on any other, dividedly addressed; it is alwaysconcentrated.
'Now I am right, and now I'll take my corner, Jack. Any dinner,Jack?'
Mr. Jasper opens a door at the upper end of the room, and disclosesa small inner room pleasantly lighted and prepared, wherein acomely dame is in the act of setting dishes on table.
'What a jolly old Jack it is!' cries the young fellow, with a clapof his hands. 'Look here, Jack; tell me; whos
te unconstrained and careless, danced in the freedom andgaiety of their hearts.
If there were no such thing as display in the world, my privateopinion is, and I hope you agree with me, that we might get on agreat deal better than we do, and might be infinitely moreagreeable company than we are. It was charming to see how thesegirls danced. They had no spectators but the apple-pickers on theladders. They were very glad to please them, but they danced toplease themselves (or at least you would have supposed so); and youcould no more help admiring, than they could help dancing. Howthey did dance!
Not like opera-dancers. Not at all. And not like Madame Anybody'sfinished pupils. Not the least. It was not quadrille dancing, norminuet dancing, nor even country-dance dancing. It was neither in the old style, nor the new style, nor the French style, nor theEnglish style: though it may have been, by accident, a trifle inthe Spanish style, which is a free and joyous one, I am t
all just mention; it was at the time whenpress warrants were issued, on the alarm about Falkland Islands.The woman's husband was pressed, their goods seized for some debtsof his, and she, with two small children, turned into the streetsa-begging. It is a circumstance not to be forgotten, that she wasvery young (under nineteen), and most remarkably handsome. Shewent to a linen-draper's shop, took some coarse linen off thecounter, and slipped it under her cloak; the shopman saw her, andshe laid it down: for this she was hanged. Her defence was (I havethe trial in my pocket), "that she had lived in credit, and wantedfor nothing, till a press-gang came and stole her husband from her;but since then, she had no bed to lie on; nothing to give herchildren to eat; and they were almost naked; and perhaps she mighthave done something wrong, for she hardly knew what she did." Theparish officers testified the truth of this story; but it seems,there had been a good deal of shop-lifting ab
istaken or misinformed, and I rather think that I have in one or two rare instances observed its information to be not strictly accurate with reference to myself. Indeed, I have, now and again, been more surprised by printed news that I have read of myself, than by any printed news that I have ever read in my present state of existence. Thus, the vigour and perseverance with which I have for some months past been collecting materials for, and hammering away at, a new book on America has much astonished me; seeing that all that time my declaration has been perfectly well known to my publishers on both sides of the Atlantic, that no consideration on earth would induce me to write one. But what I have intended, what I have resolved upon (and this is the confidence I seek to place in you), is, on my return to England, in my own person, in my own Journal, to bear, for the behoof of my countrymen, such testimony to the gigantic changes in this country as I have hinted at to-night. Also, to record that wherever I ha
l make it. My dear Paul, it's very weak and silly of me, I know, to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot; but I am so very queer that I must ask you for a glass of wine and a morsel of that cake.'
Mr Dombey promptly supplied her with these refreshments from a tray on the table.
'I shall not drink my love to you, Paul,' said Louisa: 'I shall drink to the little Dombey. Good gracious me!--it's the most astonishing thing I ever knew in all my days, he's such a perfect Dombey.'
Quenching this expression of opinion in a short hysterical laugh which terminated in tears, Louisa cast up her eyes, and emptied her glass.
'I know it's very weak and silly of me,' she repeated, 'to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot, and to allow my feelings so completely to get the better of me, but I cannot help it. I thought I should have fallen out of the staircase window as I came down from seeing dear Fanny, and that tiddy ickle sing.' These last words originated in a sudden vivid reminiscence
of it to him too, for he had the pleasure of thinking of it all his life long, and of being envied and courted by all his family besides.' And Ralph always wound up these mental soliloquies by arriving at the conclusion, that there was nothing like money.
Not confining himself to theory, or permitting his faculties to rust, even at that early age, in mere abstract speculations, this promising lad commenced usurer on a limited scale at school; putting out at good interest a small capital of slate-pencil and marbles, and gradually extending his operations until they aspired to the copper coinage of this realm, in which he speculated to considerable advantage. Nor did he trouble his borrowers with abstract calculations of figures, or references to ready-reckoners; his simple rule of interest being all comprised in the one golden sentence, 'two-pence for every half-penny,' which greatly simplified the accounts, and which, as a familiar precept, more easily acquired and retained in the memory than any know
ere was no harm inwhat she had been doing, but it was a great secret--a secret whichshe did not even know herself.
This was said with no appearance of cunning or deceit, but with anunsuspicious frankness that bore the impress of truth. She walked onas before, growing more familiar with me as we proceeded andtalking cheerfully by the way, but she said no more about her home,beyond remarking that we were going quite a new road and asking ifit were a short one.
While we were thus engaged, I revolved in my mind a hundreddifferent explanations of the riddle and rejected them every one. Ireally felt ashamed to take advantage of the ingenuousness or gratefulfeeling of the child for the purpose of gratifying my curiosity. I lovethese little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are sofresh from God, love us. As I had felt pleased at first by herconfidence I determined to deserve it, and to do credit to the naturewhich had prompted her to repose it in me.
There was no reason, howev
e deck into a long narrow apartment, not unlike a gigantic hearse with windows in the sides; having at the upper end a melancholy stove, at which three or four chilly stewards were warming their hands; while on either side, extending down its whole dreary length, was a long, long table, over each of which a rack, fixed to the low roof, and stuck full of drinking-glasses and cruet-stands, hinted dismally at rolling seas and heavy weather. I had not at that time seen the ideal presentment of this chamber which has since gratified me so much, but I observed that one of our friends who had made the arrangements for our voyage, turned pale on entering, retreated on the friend behind him., smote his forehead involuntarily, and said below his breath, 'Impossible! it cannot be!' or words to that effect. He recovered himself however by a great effort, and after a preparatory cough or two, cried, with a ghastly smile which is still before me, looking at the same time round the walls, 'Ha! the breakfast-room, steward -
ould leap out, deal blows about them with their swords likehail, leap on the horses, on the pole, spring back into thechariots anyhow; and, as soon as they were safe, the horses toreaway again.
The Britons had a strange and terrible religion, called theReligion of the Druids. It seems to have been brought over, invery early times indeed, from the opposite country of France,anciently called Gaul, and to have mixed up the worship of theSerpent, and of the Sun and Moon, with the worship of some of theHeathen Gods and Goddesses. Most of its ceremonies were keptsecret by the priests, the Druids, who pretended to be enchanters,and who carried magicians' wands, and wore, each of them, about hisneck, what he told the ignorant people was a Serpent's egg in agolden case. But it is certain that the Druidical ceremoniesincluded the sacrifice of human victims, the torture of somesuspected criminals, and, on particular occasions, even the burningalive, in immense wicker cages, of a numbe
life had shaped itself into that form, and he hadgrown used to it. He had taught himself a language down here,--ifonly to know it by sight, and to have formed his own crude ideas ofits pronunciation, could be called learning it. He had also workedat fractions and decimals, and tried a little algebra; but he was,and had been as a boy, a poor hand at figures. Was it necessary forhim when on duty always to remain in that channel of damp air, andcould he never rise into the sunshine from between those high stonewalls? Why, that depended upon times and circumstances. Under someconditions there would be less upon the Line than under others, andthe same held good as to certain hours of the day and night. Inbright weather, he did choose occasions for getting a little abovethese lower shadows; but, being at all times liable to be called byhis electric bell, and at such times listening for it with redoubledanxiety, the relief was less than I would suppose.
He took me into his box, where there was
like anything better than being moddley-coddleyed.'
With the check upon him of being unsympathetically restrained in agenial outburst of enthusiasm, Mr. Jasper stands still, and lookson intently at the young fellow, divesting himself of his outwardcoat, hat, gloves, and so forth. Once for all, a look ofintentness and intensity--a look of hungry, exacting, watchful, andyet devoted affection--is always, now and ever afterwards, on theJasper face whenever the Jasper face is addressed in thisdirection. And whenever it is so addressed, it is never, on thisoccasion or on any other, dividedly addressed; it is alwaysconcentrated.
'Now I am right, and now I'll take my corner, Jack. Any dinner,Jack?'
Mr. Jasper opens a door at the upper end of the room, and disclosesa small inner room pleasantly lighted and prepared, wherein acomely dame is in the act of setting dishes on table.
'What a jolly old Jack it is!' cries the young fellow, with a clapof his hands. 'Look here, Jack; tell me; whos
te unconstrained and careless, danced in the freedom andgaiety of their hearts.
If there were no such thing as display in the world, my privateopinion is, and I hope you agree with me, that we might get on agreat deal better than we do, and might be infinitely moreagreeable company than we are. It was charming to see how thesegirls danced. They had no spectators but the apple-pickers on theladders. They were very glad to please them, but they danced toplease themselves (or at least you would have supposed so); and youcould no more help admiring, than they could help dancing. Howthey did dance!
Not like opera-dancers. Not at all. And not like Madame Anybody'sfinished pupils. Not the least. It was not quadrille dancing, norminuet dancing, nor even country-dance dancing. It was neither in the old style, nor the new style, nor the French style, nor theEnglish style: though it may have been, by accident, a trifle inthe Spanish style, which is a free and joyous one, I am t
all just mention; it was at the time whenpress warrants were issued, on the alarm about Falkland Islands.The woman's husband was pressed, their goods seized for some debtsof his, and she, with two small children, turned into the streetsa-begging. It is a circumstance not to be forgotten, that she wasvery young (under nineteen), and most remarkably handsome. Shewent to a linen-draper's shop, took some coarse linen off thecounter, and slipped it under her cloak; the shopman saw her, andshe laid it down: for this she was hanged. Her defence was (I havethe trial in my pocket), "that she had lived in credit, and wantedfor nothing, till a press-gang came and stole her husband from her;but since then, she had no bed to lie on; nothing to give herchildren to eat; and they were almost naked; and perhaps she mighthave done something wrong, for she hardly knew what she did." Theparish officers testified the truth of this story; but it seems,there had been a good deal of shop-lifting ab
istaken or misinformed, and I rather think that I have in one or two rare instances observed its information to be not strictly accurate with reference to myself. Indeed, I have, now and again, been more surprised by printed news that I have read of myself, than by any printed news that I have ever read in my present state of existence. Thus, the vigour and perseverance with which I have for some months past been collecting materials for, and hammering away at, a new book on America has much astonished me; seeing that all that time my declaration has been perfectly well known to my publishers on both sides of the Atlantic, that no consideration on earth would induce me to write one. But what I have intended, what I have resolved upon (and this is the confidence I seek to place in you), is, on my return to England, in my own person, in my own Journal, to bear, for the behoof of my countrymen, such testimony to the gigantic changes in this country as I have hinted at to-night. Also, to record that wherever I ha
l make it. My dear Paul, it's very weak and silly of me, I know, to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot; but I am so very queer that I must ask you for a glass of wine and a morsel of that cake.'
Mr Dombey promptly supplied her with these refreshments from a tray on the table.
'I shall not drink my love to you, Paul,' said Louisa: 'I shall drink to the little Dombey. Good gracious me!--it's the most astonishing thing I ever knew in all my days, he's such a perfect Dombey.'
Quenching this expression of opinion in a short hysterical laugh which terminated in tears, Louisa cast up her eyes, and emptied her glass.
'I know it's very weak and silly of me,' she repeated, 'to be so trembly and shaky from head to foot, and to allow my feelings so completely to get the better of me, but I cannot help it. I thought I should have fallen out of the staircase window as I came down from seeing dear Fanny, and that tiddy ickle sing.' These last words originated in a sudden vivid reminiscence
of it to him too, for he had the pleasure of thinking of it all his life long, and of being envied and courted by all his family besides.' And Ralph always wound up these mental soliloquies by arriving at the conclusion, that there was nothing like money.
Not confining himself to theory, or permitting his faculties to rust, even at that early age, in mere abstract speculations, this promising lad commenced usurer on a limited scale at school; putting out at good interest a small capital of slate-pencil and marbles, and gradually extending his operations until they aspired to the copper coinage of this realm, in which he speculated to considerable advantage. Nor did he trouble his borrowers with abstract calculations of figures, or references to ready-reckoners; his simple rule of interest being all comprised in the one golden sentence, 'two-pence for every half-penny,' which greatly simplified the accounts, and which, as a familiar precept, more easily acquired and retained in the memory than any know
ere was no harm inwhat she had been doing, but it was a great secret--a secret whichshe did not even know herself.
This was said with no appearance of cunning or deceit, but with anunsuspicious frankness that bore the impress of truth. She walked onas before, growing more familiar with me as we proceeded andtalking cheerfully by the way, but she said no more about her home,beyond remarking that we were going quite a new road and asking ifit were a short one.
While we were thus engaged, I revolved in my mind a hundreddifferent explanations of the riddle and rejected them every one. Ireally felt ashamed to take advantage of the ingenuousness or gratefulfeeling of the child for the purpose of gratifying my curiosity. I lovethese little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are sofresh from God, love us. As I had felt pleased at first by herconfidence I determined to deserve it, and to do credit to the naturewhich had prompted her to repose it in me.
There was no reason, howev